Galatians 4 – 6

As we continue in Galatians, Paul’s tone still is very harsh. We need to look at why so we can understand what we are reading. The early church had many different factions that believed this or that. The church in Galatia built their doctrine around the law being the key to living a life with Jesus. So Jew and non-Jew both were required to follow the Hebraic Law in Galatia. This mindset was what Paul was fighting.

Verse 4:18 shows a common “trap” that we still get caught in:

Listen, there’s nothing wrong with zeal when you’re zealous for God’s good purpose. And what’s more, you don’t have to wait for me to be with you to seek the good.

Just because the pastor, youth leader or small group leader is not there doesn’t mean we need to put on hold our seeking the truth. We don’t have to wait for anyone, especially today with the Bible and the internet. Today we can study and understand truth without much effort. Also, we don’t have to have a defined “mission trip” to help others! Just do what is right all the time, not just when things feel right.

Verse 5:1 talks about our freedom from the Law:

So stand strong for our freedom! The Anointed One freed us so we wouldn’t spend one more day under the yoke of slavery, trapped under the law.

Many parts of the Law are good to follow today, but not as strict acts, but rather boundaries for a blessed life. Tithing is something many point to as something we don’t need to follow, but Jesus reminded us it’s not the tithe that’s God’s but rather the entire store house! Also, Cain and Able were giving back to God well before the Law was written; showing giving back to God is “required” outside the Law.

I also like to touch on the food laws since they have had an impact in my health. The Jews took it as a sin to eat pork. Peter showed us it’s not a sin, but rather a guideline. One could argue the dietary Laws are the foods that provide us the best nutrition for our bodies. Each non-allowed food in the diet like pork, catfish and shrimp are all processors of toxins. Each takes junk in, digests it and stores it in their flesh. You can see the potential harm in this if you eat the toxic food. Hence the Law is not a book of sins, but has many guidelines that are good for us to live by, but not so strict as we have to confess the pork we ate yesterday.

Verses 5:14 & 15 tie into our last reading with the Law boiled down:

¹⁴ For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” so ¹⁵ why all this vicious gnawing on each other? If you are not careful, you will find you’ve eaten each other alive!

We miss this often and get to proverbially eating each other. Think of business today, where it’s “dog eat dog” and “each for their own” and then look at the successful companies that come in under the radar. These companies don’t have a star leader, but rather a servant leader who wants success for all, which gives him success. Jim Collins’ book Good to Great looks at this with companies and although does not reference the Bible, you can easily see the principles at work. If we work out of love, the goal is not covering our asses, but rather ensuring success for all, be it our co-workers, our team or our bosses.

Verse 6;15 has Paul summing up what the people need to know:

Let me be clear: circumcision won’t save you—uncircumcision won’t either for that matter—for both amount to nothing. God’s new creation is what counts, and it counts for everything.

You won’t be saved tithing or eating the right things, no these are just guides to the best life God wants for us, not requirements for salvation or to have fellowship with God. No salvation is simple and following God is just as simple. Accept, Believe and Confess for salvation and LOVE all as you would yourself is the key to following God. It’s not ceremony, but rather a transformation with the heart.